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A dozen records and milestones within reach with Eagles set to open 2026 season
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- A dozen records and milestones within reach with Eagles set to open 2026 season
A dozen records and milestones within reach with Eagles set to open 2026 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
With Eagles opening day around the corner, we thought it would be fun to take a look at some records and milestones that several Eagles players are approaching.
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Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith are among the Eagles approaching significant milestones and so is head coach Nick Sirianni.
Here's a look at some records and milestones we'll see getting chased over the next few months.
1. In just six NFL seasons, Jalen Hurts has rushed for 63 touchdowns and he needs seven to pass Steve Van Buren and set the franchise record. Van Buren rushed for 69 TDs in his eight-year career from 1944 through 1951. Hurts has 3,554 career rushing yards and needs 446 to become the seventh quarterback to reach 4,000 for his career. He would join Lamar Jackson (6,522), former Eagle Michael Vick (6,109), Cam Newton (5,628), Russell Wilson (5,568), former Eagle Randall Cunningham (4,928), Josh Allen (4,721) and Steve Young (4,239).
2. DeVonta Smith has 5,019 receiving yards in his first five seasons and needs 1,099 this year to pass DeSean Jackson for most yards by an Eagle in his first six seasons. D-Jack had 6,117 yards in his first six seasons, from 2008 through 2013. Smith also needs 53 catches for the most by an Eagle in his first six seasons. Zach Ertz had 437 from 2013 through 2018.
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3. In just two years, Saquon Barkley is already 13th in franchise history with 3,145 rushing yards. If he continues at his current pace of 98 yards per game and plays in all 17 games, he will finish this season with 4,815 rushing yards, which would move him past Donovan McNabb, Jalen Hurts, Tom Woodeshick, Timmy Brown, Miles Sanders, Ricky Watters, Randall Cunningham and Duce Staley and into fifth place, behind only LeSean McCoy [6,792], Wilbert Montgomery [6,538], Brian Westbrook [5,995] and Van Buren [5,860].
4. Including the postseason, Barkley has 15 career rushing touchdowns of at least 50 yards, tied with Barry Sanders for 2nd-most in NFL history. He needs one to tie Adrian Peterson and two to pass A.P. for most ever. No Hall of Famer has more 50-yard rushing touchdowns than Saquon.
5. Barkley is also within reach of the most 100-yard games in franchise history. In just two years, he's 5th with 18 (including playoffs). Montgomery had 26, McCoy 23, Westbrook 20 and Van Buren 19.
6. Including the postseason, Lane Johnson has played 183 games in an Eagles uniform, so if he plays in all 17 regular-season games he'll become the sixth player in franchise history to play in 200 games, joining former teammates Brandon Graham (228), Jason Kelce (205) and Fletcher Cox (200) as well as David Akers (207) and Brian Dawkins (201).
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7. Jake Elliott has made the 8th-most field goals in NFL postseason history with 28 (in 29 attempts) and depending on whether the Eagles make the playoffs and how far they go he could move up a few spots on that list. He's within four of former Eagle Gary Anderson (32), Mason Crosby (31) and Robbie Gould (29). Elliott's 96.6 postseason accuracy is 2nd-best all-time behind Gould, who was 29-for-29. Unless Gould comes out of retirement and misses a kick – and he's now 43 and hasn't played since 2022 – Elliott can never catch him. Elliott is also one of 10 kickers who's made multiple field goals from at least 60 yards. One more moves him into a tie for third-most 60-yarders with Greg Zuerlein and Matt Prater, who both made three.
8. Hurts' 57 wins are are tied for 8th-most in NFL history by a quarterback in his first 82 starts. If he starts all 17 games this year, 10 wins moves Hurts to 7th-most wins through 99 starts, 12 wins gets him to 6th-most and 14 wins would get him to 4th-most, behind only Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady and Roger Staubach.
9. After ranking second and fifth in the NFL in points allowed the last two years in Vic Fangio's first two years as defensive coordinator, the Eagles have a chance – a good chance – to have a top-5 defense for a third straight year for only the second time since 1960. They ranked fourth in 2000 and second in 2001 and 2002 under Jim Johnson. Before that, they were fourth in 1955 and fifth in 1956 and 1957 in a 12-team league. The Eagles have only ranked first in points allowed four times – in 1949 and 1950 and again in 1980 and 1981.
10. Jalyx Hunt has 8.0 sacks and three interceptions in 33 career games. With four more sacks and two more INTs, he'll become only the fifth Eagle and the first defensive lineman with at least 12 sacks and five interceptions, the first since Brian Dawkins. Wes Hopkins had 12 sacks and 30 INTs, Dawk had 21 and 34, William Thomas 33 and 18 and Seth Joyner 37 and 17. Only five NFL players have had 12 sacks and five INTs in their first three seasons: Brian Urlacher (18 ½, 6), James Francis (17, 5), Mike Merriweather (15 ½, 5), former Eagle Shaquille Leonard (15.0, 7.0) and Chip Banks (12.0, 5).
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11. If the Eagles reach the playoffs this year, Nick Sirianni will become only the third head coach in NFL history to take his first six teams to the postseason, and the first two are Hall of Famers. Paul Brown led the Browns to the postseason his first 10 seasons, from 1946 through1955. The first four the Browns played in the old AAFC, the next six in the NFL. And Bill Cowher, who played for the Eagles in 1983 and 1984, led the Steelers to the postseason six straight years from 1992 through 1997, his first six years as a head coach. With 59 wins in his first five years, Sirianni is within reach of the 2nd-most wins ever by a coach in his first six years. George Seifert is untouchable at 75, unless the Eagles go 16-1 or better, but the next-highest win totals through Year 6 are Paul Brown (68), Matt LaFLeur (67) and Don Shula (63). So with 10 wins this year, Sirianni will have the 2nd-most wins ever by an NFL head coach after his first six seasons.
12. Dallas Goedert has 409 career catches and needs just 44 to pass Brian Westbrook (426) and Pete Retzlaff (452) and move into third in franchise history, behind only Harold Carmichael (589) and Zach Ertz (579). Smith is right behind Goedert with 385 catches, within reach of Brent Celek (398) as well as Westbrook, Retzlaff and Goedert. Goedert also needs 324 yards to reach 5,000 in his career. If the Eagles reach the playoffs, Goedert can add to his remarkable career postseason numbers. He ranks seventh in NFL history among tight ends with 56 playoff receptions, within reach of Brent Jones (60), Shannon Sharpe (62), Jay Novacek (62) and Dallas Clark (64). So nine catches moves him into third place all-time behind only Travis Kelce (178) and Rob Gronkowski (98).
